A telephone answering system that automatically dials a specified telephone number left by a caller in conjunction with a message left for a message recipient. The caller is given an option to leave such a number. In the case the caller has left such a number, the message recipient is given an option to have that number automatically dialed. If the message recipient chooses that option, the number as specified by the caller is automatically dialed, and the connection between the telephone line of the message recipient and the telephone answering system is terminated. The present invention thus provides great convenience to subscribers of telephone answering systems when calling back previous callers who have left messages.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method for automatically calling back a caller who has left a message on a telephone answering system for a message recipient, said method including the steps of: A. instructing said caller to enter a phone number where said caller wishes to be reached by said message recipient; B. storing said phone number with said message of said caller; C. terminating connection of said telephone answering system to said message recipient's telephone line; and D. automatically dialing said phone number of said caller from a telephone line of said message recipient in response only to a telephone call from said recipient.
2. The method of claim 1 , further including the step of: giving an option to said caller to not leave any phone number with said message and not performing steps A-D if said caller takes said option.
3. The method of claim 2 , further including the step of: informing said message recipient that said caller can be automatically called back if said caller has left said phone number.
4. The method of claim 3 , further including the step of: informing said message recipient of said phone number left by said caller.
5. The method of claim 1 , further including the steps of: informing the caller of an ANI (Automatic Number Identification) determined billing telephone number; and giving an option to said caller to select said billing telephone number as said phone number stored in step B.
6. The method of claim 1 , further including the step of: giving an option to said message recipient to not call back said caller and not performing steps C-D if said message recipient takes said option.
7. The method of claim 6 , further including the step of: giving an option to said message recipient to dial a number that is different from said phone number left by said caller.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein step A includes the step of: instructing said caller to enter said phone number by one of (1) dialing in said phone number via a DTMF (Dual Tone Multi-Frequency) keypad and (2) speaking said phone number.
9. The method of claim 8 , further including the step of: converting any spoken phone number into a digital data format using a voice recognition unit.
10. The method of claim 8 , further including the step of: converting a DTMF (Dual Tone Multi-Frequency) tone into a digital data format using a DTMF (Dual Tone Multi-Frequency) recognition unit.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said telephone answering system is a voice mail system.
12. A method for automatically calling back a caller who has left a message on a telephone answering system for a message recipient, said method including the steps of: A. instructing said caller to enter a phone number where said caller wishes to be reached by said message recipient, wherein said step A includes the steps of: instructing said caller to enter said phone number by one of (1) dialing in said phone number via a DTMF (Dual Tone Multi-Frequency) keypad and (2) speaking said phone number; converting any spoken phone number into a digital data format; and converting any entered DTMF (Dual Tone Multi-Frequency) tone into a digital data format; B. giving an option to said caller to not leave any phone number with said message of said caller and not performing any of subsequent steps C-E if said caller takes said option; C. storing said phone number with said message of said caller; D. in response only to a call from said message recipient, informing said message recipient that said caller can be automatically called back if said caller bas left said phone number; E. giving an option to said message recipient to not call back said caller, and, if said message recipient takes said option: informing said message recipient of said phone number left by said caller, and giving an option to said message recipient to dial a number that is different from said phone number left by said caller, and if said message recipient does not take said option, terminating connection of said telephone answering system to said message recipient's telephone line, and automatically dialing said phone number of said caller from a telephone line of said message recipient.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein said telephone answering system is a voice mail system.
14. A telephone answering system that automatically calls back a caller who has left a message for a message recipient, said answering system comprising: an instruction synthesizer for instructing said caller to enter a phone number where said caller wishes to be reached by said message recipient; a memory for storing said phone number with said message of said caller; a control circuit for terminating connection of said telephone answering system to said message recipient's telephone line; and a PBX (Private Branch Exchange) control interface for controlling a PBX (Private Branch Exchange), coupled to said message recipient's telephone line, to automatically dial said phone number of said caller from a telephone line of said message recipient in response only to a telephone call from said message recipient.
15. The telephone answering system of claim 14 , wherein said control circuit gives said caller an option to not leave any phone number with said message of said caller, and wherein said control circuit informs said message recipient that said caller has left said phone number that may be automatically dialed.
16. The telephone answering system of claim 14 , wherein said control circuit gives said message recipient an option to not call back said caller at said phone number.
17. The telephone answering system of claim 14 , wherein said instruction synthesizer instructs said caller to enter said phone number by voice, and wherein said telephone answering system further comprises: a voice recognition unit for converting any spoken phone number into a digital data format.
18. The telephone answering system of claim 14 , wherein said instruction synthesizer instructs said caller to enter said phone number via a DTMF (Dual Tone Multi-Frequency) keypad, and wherein said telephone answering system further comprises: a DTMF (Dual Tone Multi-Frequency) recognition unit for converting any entered DTMF (Dual Tone Multi-Frequency) tone into a digital data format.
19. A telephone answering system that automatically calls back a caller who has left a message for a message recipient, said answering system comprising: an instruction synthesizer for instructing said caller to enter a phone number where said caller wishes to be reached by said message recipient, wherein said instruction synthesizer instructs said caller to enter said phone number by one of voice and a DTMF (Dual Tone Multi-Frequency) keypad; a voice recognition unit for converting any spoken phone number into a digital data format; a DTMF (Dual Tone Multi-Frequency) recognition unit for converting any entered DTMF (Dual Tone Multi-frequency) tone into a digital data format; a memory for storing said phone number with said message of said caller; a control circuit for terminating connection of said telephone answering system to said message recipient's telephone line, wherein said control circuit gives said caller an option to not leave any phone number with said message of said caller, and wherein said control circuit, in response only to a telephone call from said message recipient, informs said message recipient that said caller has left said phone number, and wherein said control circuit gives said message recipient an option to not call back said caller; and a PBX (Private Branch Exchange) control interface for controlling a PBX (Private Branch Exchange), coupled to said message recipient's telephone line, to automatically dial said phone number of said caller from said message recipient's telephone line.
20. A telephone answering system that automatically calls back a caller who has left a message for a message recipient, said answering system comprising: a means for obtaining and storing a phone number where said caller wishes to be reached by said message recipient; a control circuit for terminating connection of said telephone answering system to a telephone line of said message recipient; and a means for automatically dialing said phone number of said caller from a telephone line of said message recipient in response only to a telephone call from said message recipient.
21. The telephone answering system of claim 20 , wherein said means for obtaining and storing instructs said caller to enter said phone number by voice, and wherein said telephone answering system further comprises: a voice recognition unit for converting any spoken phone number into a digital data format.
22. The telephone answering system of claim 20 , wherein said means for obtaining and storing instructs said caller to enter said phone number via a DTMF (Dual Tone Multi-Frequency) keypad, and wherein said telephone answering system further comprises: a DTMF (Dual Tone Multi-Frequency) recognition unit for converting any entered DTMF tone into a digital data format.
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September 25, 1997
May 28, 2002
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